WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- In the end, Paul Pierce of the Boston
Celtics was just a bit better than Juwan Howard of the
Washington Wizards.

Pierce scored 18 of his season-high 34 points in the final
period, including a key leaner with 13.4 seconds to go as the
Celtics posted their fifth straight win over the Wizards,
105-101.

"That's that up-and-under I've been working on all summer,"
Pierce said of the move he used to shake defensive specialist
Reggie Jordan.

Pierce was unstoppable over the final period, scoring eight
straight and 12 of Boston's final 14 points down the stretch.
His biggest bucket was the Celtics' last, as he drove the lane
and lofted a floater for a 104-101 advantage.

"I didn't realize I had 18 points in the fourth quarter, but I
knew I could take my man down on the block," Pierce said. "Coach
told me just to drive and not settle for the jumper because I
was going to get fouled. And I was able to do that and get to
the line and score some easy points for us."

Washington rookie Richard Hamilton got off a 3-pointer with five
seconds to go but the ball rimmed out and Kenny Anderson sealed
matters with a free throw.

Howard nearly kept pace with Pierce, scoring 14 of his 20
second-half points in the final quarter. He finished with a
season-high 31 points.

The Wizards, playing without injured starting shooting guard
Mitch Richmond, have dropped four straight. They have lost
eight of their last nine at home.

"This was a game that really showed that we needed Mitch,
especially on the defensive end," Wizards coach Gar Heard said.
"They had two guys who combined for 65 points. They just took
advantage of some of the matchups. We couldn't get the big stop
when we needed it."

Antoine Walker posted his third straight double-double with 31
points and 11 rebounds for Boston. Coming off a season-high 39
points in Saturday's win at New Jersey, Walker made 12-of-29
shots, including more than his share of layups, and 7-of-9 free
throws.

"Paul is a great player," Walker said. "He's young, but you're
not going to find too many 2-guards at 6-7 as strong as he is.
And he can shoot the ball with the best of them. He's a great
talent.

"Tonight, we got back to doing what we do well, and that's run,
get out on the break and get to the line. In the last few games
we've been getting out on the break and making the game much
easier for ourselves. We've been getting back to being a
running team, and that's something we definitely need."

Rod Strickland had 24 points and Aaron Williams and Tracy Murray
both scored 10 off the bench for the Wizards. Their last lead
was 89-88 on a pair of free throws by Howard with 6:22
remaining.

Strickland pulled Washington within 102-101 on a three-point
play with 36.4 seconds left. But Pierce answered with his
clincher.

"I was surprised they didn't double me or Antoine more," Pierce
said. "He was making nice moves in the post, but they didn't
really adjust to him. And Kenny (Anderson) did a great job.
Everybody just played their roles and we got this win.

"I haven't been playing the best basketball that I know I can
play. I've really got to start stepping up and showing what I
can do out there. In order for this ballclub to win, there are
a lot of responsibilities that lie on me. That's why I've got to
get the job done night in and night out. That's got to be my
mentality."

Pierce's two-hand slam on the run gave the Celtics a 55-51 lead
with 9:53 left in the third quarter. He sprang free along the
baseline for another emphatic slam for a 57-57 tie with 8:07 to
play in the period.

Anderson's strong drive for the Celtics' sixth consecutive
layup, including three by Walker, capped a 10-2 run midway
through the second quarter and pulled Boston to 41-37 with 4:29
left.

Walter McCarty buried a 3-pointer from the left wing, forging a
45-45 tie, but the Wizards had a 50-47 lead at intermission.

"I took my time more today," Pierce said. "I've been rushing
it. There comes a time when I have to take my time and it will
come, and I think I did that tonight. My teammates did a great
job of getting me the ball.

This is a big win for us. Winning these last two road games has
been huge. I believe we can get on a roll. These next two
weeks are going to be very important or us. We're trying to get
our heads above water before the All-Star Game."

Boston coach Rick Pitino said his team perfectly executed the
game plan.

"We were trying to get into the bonus early because they can be
a very physical basketball team," he explained. "We didn't want
to be shooting jump shots against them because then you're
playing into their hands.

"I probably played Antoine too many minutes (44), but I was so
confident in what he was doing. In the end, I thought he would
pass the ball when they double-teamed him, and he did. The good
thing is that Paul's foul trouble allowed him to rest in the
second half when Antoine logged all the minutes. Then Paul was
fresh, which helped us tremendously. And he had a smaller guy
on him in Hamilton."